Earlier this week, I went to Carmel, California for a strategy session. While there, I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and saw the California beauty after a winter season of a lot of rain (see the picture below for one of the fabulous views).

Do you take time out of your busy schedule to think about the future? It helps to get away (even if you just leave the office for the day) to empty your mind for strategic thinking. Have you been able to do that lately?

One tip to implement this week:

If you are a leader, schedule time for your executive team to get away and put time into strategic thinking. These days, you’ll be fortunate to think of strategy a year out as the world is changing at an increasing rate. However, because we are so overloaded only a daily basis, it also is more important than ever to take time to think about your business so that you are leading the business instead of the business leading you. It is hard to take leaps forward if you don’t take time to think about them. And, if you aren’t growing, you are declining.

If you are an employee, you can take time out at lunch to sit in a park or get away for a weekend to think. I bet you have far more control than you realize. Bring ideas to your manager, sketch out plans and run them by peers. You never know what you could accomplish. And, you are ALWAYS in charge of your career. What else would you like to learn? What experiences would you like to have? Pursue them.

Looking for more ideas to keep your supply chain connected? Access more tips and resources on my blog. And keep connected by subscribing to my newsletter and email feed of “I’ve Been Thinking…”